Welcome

Welcome to the Konkoly Thege Miklós Astronomical Institute 

of the HUN-REN Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences

Konkoly Observatory (Astronomical Institute in Hungarian) is the leading astronomical research institute in Hungary, and one of the most important astro-hubs in the entire Central and Eastern European region. More than 60 researchers work here, a quarter of whom are non-Hungarians. Our nine research groups cover most areas of astronomy and astrophysics, from stellar physics, through solar system research, stellar and planetary evolution and exoplanets, to nuclear and extragalactic astrophysics, and cosmology. Konkoly Observatory not only has its own satellite, but is also involved in several European space programmes. To date, our institute has won two ERC, two GINOP, and 7 Lendület proposals. We are proud of our Konkoly Nobel programme and our undergraduate research assistant (demonstrator) programme. As part of our gifted and talented education program we regularly work with outstanding high school students with talents and manage the organization of the national preparatory competitions for the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics.

Our Observatory was founded in 1899 as the successor to the private observatory of Miklós Konkoly Thege in Ógyalla. Our Institute forms the Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences (CSFK) with the Geographical Institute and the Institute for Geological and Geochemical Research. Since September 2019, CSFK, an MTA Centre of Excellence, is part of the Hungarian Research Network (HUN-REN). One of our three sites is the Piszkéstető Observatory, which has been awarded the Hungarian TOP50 Research Infrastructure of Excellence title. Our institution cooperates with the most important Hungarian universities and operates the Svábhegyi Observatory, a unique interactive public astronomy center, on our main site in Normafa.